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Kidney Drug May Pose Heart Risk

Posted on: Thursday, 16 November 2006, 18:01 CST

U.S. and European researchers said an anti-anemia drug used by chronic kidney disease suffers may pose serious health problems if used aggressively.

Scientists found aggressive efforts to boost red blood cell production with erythropoietin, or EPO, may increase the risk of heart failure in one study and could accelerate the need for dialysis in the other study.

The reports raise questions about how aggressive treatment should be in restoring red blood cell levels in kidney patients, the Wall Street Journal said.

In the U.S. study, Harvard Medical School researchers said study patients who were treated aggressively were nearly 50 percent more likely to experience heart problems than patients in the low-hemoglobin group, the Journal said.

European researchers found more of the intensively treated patients had to undergo dialysis treatment.

The studies didn't make a finding on the traditional use of EPO in which the drug is used to moderate anemia in kidney patients. Since the research examined only pre-dialysis patients,it wasn't clear whether findings applied to the estimated 335,000 kidney U.S. patients on dialysis.

Source: United Press International

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